ОЦІНКА ПРАКТИЧНИХ НАВИЧОК СТУДЕНТІВ ВПРОДОВЖ ДИСТАНЦІЙНОГО НАВЧАННЯ

An aim of a study was to evaluate the level of formation and development of practical skills for third year students of Foreign Citizens Training Department in Ivano-Frankivsk National Medical University within the learning of selective discipline "Surgical Technique" during distance learning. Materials and methods. An analysis of scientific Ukrainian and foreign literature devoted to the formation of soft skills and technical (hard) skills in medical students in distance learning conditions was conducted. Particular attention was paid to the systematization and comparison of results regarding the level of students' mastery of practical skills in the discipline "Surgical Technique" during three academic years (2022, 2023 and 2024). Results. Soft Skills cover a wide range of skills, including the ability to communicate effectively, right work in a team, adhere to professional ethics, and quickly adapt to changes. In context of surgical training, these skills aren’t less important than technical skills, because this skills form a base of successful teamwork, which is critical important in real clinical conditions. Technical skills include accurate performance of some procedures according to certain algorithms. While studying the elective discipline "Surgical Technique", students are divided into operating teams and develop practical skills that can be very important for future work. The teams include a surgeon, two assistants, an operating nurse and a junior nurse. In a form of business game, members perform tasks according to clear algorithms. At the same time, the effectiveness of such classes depends largely not only on technical training, but also on communicative abilities, organizational coherence and mutual respect inside of the team. In context of distance learning, an implementation of teamwork wasn’t possible. To partially solve this problem, the department's teachers developed educational videos that demonstrate basic surgical manipulations. Students performed tasks on silicone simulators, recording the process on video for further evaluation by teachers. However, despite the technical implementation of tasks, assessing the level of development of soft skills, especially communication interaction and effective teamwork, in conditions of distance learning turned out to be extremely difficult. The development of flexible skills in medical students through distance learning is real thanks to the widespread introduction of modern telecommunication technologies. The use of situational tasks, analysis of clinical cases in the case-study format, joint discussion of diagnostic approaches and formulation of differential diagnoses online contribute to the formation of analytical thinking and communication skills. This format of interaction allows students to complement each other's answers, deepening their understanding of the material. However, it should be noted that the full replacement of traditional, active learning with online tools is limited, especially when it comes to practical skills. In the context of mastering surgical techniques, offline learning remains an indispensable component of professional training, providing the necessary level of practical skill and experience.